1. Field of the Invention
The present invention includes a method of making a merged magnetoresistive ("MR") head.
2. Description of the Related Art
A merged MR head includes an integrated read/write structure that incorporates a thin film write element with first and second pole layers (P1 and P2) separated by a transducing gap, and a magnetoresistive (MR) read element with first and second shields (S1 and S2).
A conventional merged MR head employs a single S2/P1 layer which serves a dual function: (1) provision of a second shield layer S2 for the read element and (2) provision of a first pole layer P1 for the write element. By employing the dual function S2/P1 layer, several steps are saved in the process of making the merged MR head.
Even though several process steps are saved by employing the dual function S2/P1 layer, the prior art method of manufacturing a merged MR head requires numerous process steps. For example, one method known to the inventors requires 25 photoresist masks. Each masking operation requires several processing steps. Consequently, the cost of manufacturing the prior art merged MR head is quite expensive. Further, the prior art method of manufacturing produces a head which has an irregular zero throat level and poorly planarized insulation layers for the coil of the write head, and presents a high risk of contamination of the MR stripe.